4WD gets 22 mpg, which is good enough to make it the most fuel-efficient gasoline midsize truck in America.

Fuel economy ratings for Ford’s all-new Ranger pickup are out, and things look favorable for the mid-sizer. EPA estimates say the pickup will return a combined 23 mpg in two-wheel drive format, with the four-wheel-drive model just behind at 22 mpg. According to Ford, that’s enough to make it the most fuel-efficient gasoline-powered midsize pickup truck in America. Even then, it ties the Chevrolet Colorado diesel for combined mileage, while leading midsize competitors from Nissan and Toyota by a modest margin.

Read up on the Ranger:

Looking a bit closer at the figures, we see the EPA estimates a 2WD Ranger will return 21 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. 4WD models sip a bit more fuel but not much, with EPA estimates showing 20 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway.

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“Midsize truck customers have been asking for a pickup that’s Built Ford Tough,” said Todd Eckert, Ford truck group marketing manager. “And Ranger will deliver with durability, capability and fuel efficiency, while also providing in-city maneuverability and the freedom desired by many midsize pickup truck buyers to go off the grid.”

Ranger vs. the world:

Of course, Ford only offers the Ranger with a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder, generating 270 horsepower (201 kilowatts) and 310 pound-feet (420 Newton-meters) of torque. It should be noted that those performance figures far surpass the four-cylinder offerings from all the Ranger’s gas-powered competition, lining up favorably with V6 equipped trucks instead. In some of those cases the Ranger is overpowered but not by much, with the V6-powered Colorado taking top honors at 308 horsepower. Of course, the bigger engines also burn more fuel. See our side-by-side comparison above for all the gritty details.

After a lengthy absence from the U.S. market, Ford is finally ready to bring the Ranger back to the Blue Oval faithful in America. Ranger production is currently underway, with new models expected to hit dealer showrooms beginning in January.

When configured as a 4x4, Ranger returns EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings of 20 mpg city,24 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined. This is the best-in-class EPA-estimated city fueleconomy rating of any gasoline-powered four-wheel-drive midsize pickup and it is anunsurpassed EPA-estimated combined fuel economy rating.

“Midsize truck customers have been asking for a pickup that’s Built Ford Tough,” said ToddEckert, Ford truck group marketing manager. “And Ranger will deliver with durability, capabilityand fuel efficiency, while also providing in-city maneuverability and the freedom desired bymany midsize pickup truck buyers to go off the grid.”

Along with 270 horsepower, Ranger’s standard 2.3-liter EcoBoost® engine produces 310 lb.-ft.of torque, delivering the most torque of any gas engine in the midsize pickup segment. Pairedwith a class-exclusive 10-speed transmission, Ranger boasts a unique combination ofefficiency, power and capability that only comes from Ford.

Ranger is designed and engineered to serve the needs of North America with innovativetechnology like its available class-exclusive Blind Spot Information System with trailer coverage,all-new Terrain Management System™ with Trail Control™ and standard FordPass Connect™with a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot supporting up to 10 devices.

Built Ford Tough is engineered into every Ranger. When properly equipped, this shines throughin the truck’s best-in-class 7,500 pounds of gas towing capacity with available tow package andbest-in-class 1,860 pounds of maximum payload to handle all your gear.

Ranger production is underway at Michigan Assembly Plant. The truck arrives at dealersnationwide starting in January.